Fertilizer for Catasetum group

I feed all my Catasetum alliance with one teaspoon per gallon fertilizer with every watering. I wait until roots are 3-6" long before watering. Once they go dormant, around Oct.31, I don't water until roots are long enough (around May 15 in my conditions). I sometimes water twice per week during growing season, I water just before the potting medium is dry. I give them pretty much full sun. They are fast growers as their rainy season in nature can be quite short.

 

Which is how often, and what formula? (important parts of the "how much" equation).

 

Once or Twice a week, now with msu ro water formula. I Used to use maxsea balanced formula.

 

WOW! That is a LOT of food! A teaspoon per gallon is about 175 ppm N, and you're doing that twice a week. The recommendation (based upon trying it, not any scientific basis) is 125 ppm N once a week. I use 35, 2-3x/week. I don't grow any catasetums though, so I suppose it might be perfect, but it does seem high.

 

Through recommendation of a friend who has been growing this group for many years I use a basic 10-10-10 slow release granule from Home Depot. It does the job perfectly, but might drive the chemists among us crazy.

 

My fertilizer regime is based in recommendations from Fred Clarke. In nature these grow rapidly and respond very well to the high fertilizer. I grow in a greenhouse with full sun, so they can make use of the extra nutrients. Once the new growths mature (around the middle of September) I cut back to 1/4 teaspoon per gallon until leaves begin to yellow, then straight water until leaves drop and then no water until spring when new roots are longer than 3 inches.....that could be up to six months with no water.

 

I have no basis to argue with your-, and Fred's success, especially as I don't grow them, but it just seems awfully high, based upon what I've read about the nutrient supply in nature.

I suppose the seasonality of their growth could play a role - "make hay while the sun shines".

 

What would be the risk of too much fertilizer? Build up of salts? Many organisms will be able to take more nutrients than what is normally provided in nature, but we can feed them at a higher level, sometimes with a detriment to their overall health. If the catesetums had too much nitrogen available, would they simply not be able to use all that was available and the rest not be absorbed? I have just started growing a few this year and am feeding them once/week at 100ppm N.

 

Almost anything, if given in excess, can be detrimental - not only due to the potential of overdosing the plants, but mineral ions can compete for capture sites in the velamen, and also interfere with each others' absorption. There are a LOT of variables that determine the exact issues, which is why if prefer to keep my dosing frequent and extremely dilute.

I think that a 100 ppm N solution, applied only once a week, is not in the realm of "extreme".

 

you can find a lot of info abpout Catasetum on http://www.catasetinae.com.
In details read here http://www.catasetinae.com/culture.htm and on youtube
I fertilize my catasetinae with Osmocote 17-11-10+2MgO+TE slow fertilizer (6 months ).
http://www.everris.com/it/Home/Orna...ertilizers/CRF/Osmocote/Osmocote-Pro/87450225

 

Thanks for the great links.

 

Also, use this resource http://catasetinaecanada.weebly.com/
Created by a friend from my local society who is a little nutso about the group